Austrolman Pantheon
The Austrolman pantheon is the one worshipped by the Eastern Olmans. It fulfils the role of being the major religion in its homeland, and due to a combination of factors, it is the pantheon and religion most readily identified with the Olman people as a whole. History The Austrolman religion has been the religion of the Eastern Olmans since time immemorial. The highest of the gods were worshipped throughout the land under a variety of names by different peoples. Each of these tribes also had their own gods and traditions. During the period of the Ancient Olman Empire, the religion became more uniform across the land as the empire brought together the different religious traditions of the tribes around the region. Ritual There are two important parts of the Eastern Olman religion: incarnation/recreation, and sacrifice. Incarnation/Recreation During Austrolman religious festivals, the gods and spirits are directly summoned to the world. This is done by their ritual incarnation in willing devotees of their cult, who are possessed during the ritual or festival and literally become the god made flesh. The physical presence of the gods reinforces the connection between the people and their deities, and is seen as a blessing by all the Olmans. However, as the gods sacrifice their ambitions for their people, so too do their incarnations sacrifice themselves. Sacrifice The other side of Austrolman religion is sacrifice. When people want something from a god, they sacrifice something themselves to maintain the divine order. If this were the extent of the Austrolman sacrifice, then few might care, but it is not. Austrolman religion has the sacrifice of sentient creatures as a crucial part of its ritual. At the end of festivals, those who are chosen to be the incarnation of the gods are sacrificed to send the gods back to their divine realms. Furthermore, a sacrifice is made each day to the gods so that they might send the sun to light the sky. Finally, Austrolmans sacrifice all heathens that they capture in battle on their altars. Sacrifice is not universal amongst the Austrolmans, and many successor states to the ancient Olman Empire abandoned the practice, seeing it as part of the great madness that overtook their people and led to the ruin of their empire. Especially where Austrolmans have come into contact with Old World explorers and conquistadors, those who have followed the more bloodthirsty side of Austrolman religion have been put to the sword and their temples crushed, while the peaceful worshippers have tended to survive. Transmission Austrolman religion has survived and been transmitted across continents in less bloodthirsty forms. The god Semuanya, who is worshipped in the Old World by the Lizardfolk, is the same Semuanya who is worshipped in Argyria. The difference is that the Lizardfolk who crossed the oceans to come to the Old World did not believe in the sacrifice of intelligent beings, and thus their religion has survived to be transmitted to natives of the Old World. Eastern Olman Gods Category:Deity Category:Pantheon Category:Olman Pantheon Category:Eastern Olman Pantheon Category:Auster Olman Pantheon Category:Oster Olman Pantheon Category:Austrolman Pantheon Category:Aztec Pantheon Category:Outsider